Planning to succeed: a student's guide to healthy eating

Created on Mon, 06/03/2017 - 00:00 by Peta Brady

When you're time-poor or on a budget, eating well can seem like a real challenge, and reaching for the takeaway menu or ordering Uber Eats is tempting. This is particularly true for students with a heavy workload, however, not eating healthily can impact our ability to focus. So how do we fuel our bodies with good food, without eating up valuable study time or blowing the budget? The good news is, it's simpler than you might think!

With a little forward planning and thriftiness, you can master the art of healthy eating, without having to become a master chef. Planning your meals ahead of time, buying in bulk, and repurposing leftovers are all easy ways to make sure your body is properly fuelled for study success. And planning meals ahead of time means you only shop for what you need, waste less, and focus on healthy seasonal food.

Before you hit the supermarket, why not visit a local farmers' market? Markets are generally cheaper, and the produce fresher—which means more nutrients for you at a better price. Stock up on fresh veggies and fruits, then head to the supermarket for essentials like beans, grains, pasta, and condiments. When it comes to meat, look for cheaper cuts—these are great for slow-cooking and freezing into meals such as curries, stews, and pasta sauces.

Open Universities Australia’s Brain Food: on a Budget video series explains the connection between energy, nutrition and wellbeing.

With food sorted, consider what you're drinking. Like most students, you probably consume a lot of coffee—which is fine in moderation, but can have adverse effects in large amounts. A good alternative is green tea, which also contains caffeine but is known to improve brain function. Alternate with plenty of water throughout the day, and stay focused with a range of healthy snacks—nuts, blueberries, bananas, or vegetable sticks with hummus all provide a healthy boost of energy.

Open University Australia’s short video about tea explains when to drink them and what they can do for you.

So there you have it! A few simple tricks to improve your general health and help you save money, that also increase your ability to power through those long study sessions.

Peta Brady is a freelance copywriter, editor, social media enthusiast, and general grammar pest. She loves writing scribbles and correcting errors, as well as changing her hair colour every five minutes and eating all the foods in Melbourne.